Machine for capping fibrous containers



Oct. 1933- N. L. EUDALY ET AL MACHINE FOR CAPPING FIBRQUS CONTAINERS Filed July 22, 1931 Mewton LJfudaly Will iam H. Collins Herman H. Vollmer Patented Oct. 3, 1933 FOR CAPPINGYFIBROUS CONTAINERS MACHINE Newton L. Eudaly,l lorwood, William lLjCollins,

Elmwood Place, and Herman H. Vollmer, St. Bernard, Ohio, assignors to The Drackett Chemical Company, poration of Ohio Cincinnati, Ohio, a cor-' Application July 22, 1931. Serial No. 552,446

4 Claims. (c1. 226-80) This invention relates to a machine for capping or applying lids to fibrous containers such as are commonly used in the packing of powdered or granulated materials. n

An object of the invention is to provide magnetic means for holding the caps or lids, whereby to greatly simplify the mechanical movements'of the machine and to eliminate expensive and intricate mechanisms heretofore used for the purpose.

Another object is the provision of a contracting die for reducing the size ofthe fibrous container edge prior to application of the cap or lid, whereby there is secured a tight closure for the container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine for thepurpose above stated, which-is dependable and simple of operation, there being but few parts to become out of order and to require replacement and adjustment.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein and disclosed in the accompanying drawing; in which:

Fig. 1 1s a side elevational view of one type of capping machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, parts being broken away.

Fig. 3 is a'plan view of a conventional spacer and feeder for. containers to be subjected to the capping operation.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of a container and lid, or cap, showing their relative diameters prior to the lid applying operation.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional detail view showing diagrammatically the function of the tapered; contracting die as applied to the upper edge of the fibrous container which, as shown, isabout to be forced through the die opening.

The machine of this invention is adapted to perform the operation of applying lids or caps '7 to containers such as indicated at 8. The cap" 7 is of sheet metal, and the cylindrical body of the container preferably is of cardboard or other fibrous material. The bottom of the container is closed by means of a plate 9 of metal or other suitable material. It should be apparent from the disclosure in Fig. 4 that the flange of the lid is cylindrical in shape and of slightly smaller diameter'than the exterior upper portion of the container. Application of the lid to the container is effected by means of the die 10, the opening 12 of which has an annular wall tapering upwardly and inwardly to provide an upper con stricted portion 13 for contracting or swaging inwardly the top portion of container 8 so that the undersized lid or cap may be applied thereto, In

accordance with the invention, the lid or cap "is held directly over the die opening by means of a suitable magnet indicated at 14 in Fig. 1. The magnet may be of the permanently'magnetized 1 type, or it may be an electro-magnet such as is indicated in the drawing. r

In the operation of the machine, filled or partly filled containers 8 of the character above referred to, are conveyed to the machine in any suitable manner, for example, by means of the chute indicated at 15. Upon reaching the machine, the containers are spaced and fed, one by one, onto the track or guide 16 by means" of any suitable type of spacer and feeder wheel or the like, a conventional form of which is shown at 17. The track 16 preferably is divided to accommodate the upper runof a conveyor 18 which has upwardly extending projections or abutments 19 thereon for contacting the containers and moving'them'. I

along the track or guide to a capping position on r the capping table 20. The capping tableis adapt 1 ed to be vertically reciprocated for forcing the. upper portion of a container through the die and. into the lid 7. After application of thelid, the

die'parts are-expanded or moved relatively,'to

release the container and permit it to remainon" the capping table as the table moves down wardly to the normal position indicated in Fig. 1.

i The projections 19 thereupon again engage the I container and move it tofthe discharge end 220i 355 the machine. I

Vertical reciprocation er thecapping table 20 maybe accomplished by any" suitable known means. As indicated inFig'. 1,the table has fixed to, and depending therefrom, 'a suitable'bifurcated'connecting rod 23 operating in a vertical guide 24, the connecting rod beingreciprocated by means of a cam 25 fixed to the mainshaft 26 of the machine. The main shaft has fixed thereto a gear 27 engaging'a pinion 28 onthe pulley shaft 29, which shaft may carry a pulley 30 over which passes a power driven belt 31. The conveyor 18 may be driven from the main shaft bymeans of a chain 32-engaging sprockets 33 and I 134 fixed to the main shaft and to the conveyor shaft 35, respectively, It is to be understood.

that the machine may be supplied with'power by means other than that disclosed and that other i forms-of means may be employed for reciprocation of the capping table. The lids or caps may be fed either manually or automatically to an operative position covering the opening 12 of the die, in which position they are successively held by means of the magnet 14." As shown in Fig. 2, the'lids 01'' caps may be 'adthe opening 12 of the die may beenlarefiiimmediately after the lid applying operation. The;

movable part 38 of the die may be held in a normally operative or closed- 'position by' means of a strong spring or the like 40h'aving one of its ends attached'to the movabledie parimw-iththe other end secured to a stationary" part ofthe machine. The die part 38 preferably is provided with an abutment 41 adapted to beengagedtby an extending latch or abutment 42 which ispivoted at 43 on a bodily reciprocating arm 44. It should be :clear from therlisclosure in Fig. 1,:that as the. arm -'44 is moved alongthe'guide 45 the member- 42 --.wi'll pass fbeneathnthe 'diemember '38 and assume: a..-position;.in-abutment with the abut-. ment 41 .of .thedie, then upon movement of the arm 44 in the opposite direction, the latch .42 willieffect-movementofrthe .die part 38 about its pivot- 39, for releasing -its hold1on the container 8. Itshouldbe noted that the latchor abutment 42 .islimited ina'clockwise-direction of rotation,

by meansof an extending pin 47, and that counterclockwise rotation thereof is permitted, in opposition to the'resistance-ofa suitable springer thelike 46.'

From the foregoing it should be-readilyunderstood thatuponeach reciprocation of the arm- 44-along the guide-45, the latch42'wi1l grip apart of the movabledie-andcause itrto open or expand for-releaseoithepontainers: The arm 44-may 'be reciprocated -by-any suitable means, for examplet a pair of pivoted links 48 and.49, one of which has an eccentricmountinglat 50.. The eccentric mountingmay be in the form of a crank 51 or-a properly shaped cam.

Although for allpractical purposes the electromagnet 14 maybe constantly energized by reason of ..its electrical connection to a source of electricity:52,-1by means.of:the-conductors 53, it may be deSiIabIe-inrthe handling. of very light weight containers and contentsthereof, to provide means for breaking the electrical circuit to the magnet preceding the-releasing movement of the die.. In

order'toprovidefor such:breaking of the electromagnet .circuit, there may .-beprovided in the circuit'-' awsuitable normally closed electrical.

switch-54, which maybe opened at apredeterminedtime; by reason-of the movement of some regularly gmoving part'of the machine, for. examplethe upper'orrextending end 55 of the arm 44.

- It is not desired',.-however,.to limit the invention toathe-particular means shown for breaking the electrical circuit, for-tother and equivalent means for" the purpose'a-will readily: suggest themselves toithose skilled in thewiring of-electricalswitch devices.-

upon one-end of ashaft 56 journalled in a bearing 57-, theshaft having secured on its opposite end a gear 58 lforengagement with a gear 59 that -may be driven by a chain.or other.power trans- The counterpart 38 of the die preferably has a hinge mounting at 39 so that'i the die parts,v means. fonreturning said movable that properly position the container lids over the opening 12 of the die. The stops may be secured to the die parts, as shown.

'vancingvthe containers to said table in spaced relationship,v and a' container contracting die dis- "posed abovezthe container support, the die being of two parts and having an opening gradually .constrictedTasto diameter size and into which port and die, an abutment 'for'container lids disposed in alignment withthe die openingand providing' a backing for the lidsfas the lids and cone G0 tainers are joined upon relative movement of the a support and die 'members andprojectionrof the containers through the constricted die opening, means for intermittently increasing the opening of the die for release of the container, said means being constituted of a reciprocatingmember movable parallel to the conveyor. and including a latch member arranged to engage and move one of.

los

die .part to anormal v.position in abutment with the other die part, uponreleasethereofby the a latch member, the containersupport being per mitted to gravitate to'return the container to the conveyor, during the period of inaction of the intermittently operative means...

2. In an apparatusforcapping filled containers in a vertical position,.. the. combination "1.0f 'a horizontal container. support and a container. contracting vdie mounted for relative movement, 1 the die having .an opening. gradually constricted m astodiameter size and into which openingmay" be forced .a flexible container carried by the sup port, whereby to decrease the diameter of a portion of the container, means for relatively moving said support and .die, andan intermittently mag netized abutmentifor container lids disposed in alignment with. the. die opening and providing a" backing for the lids as the lids and containers'are joined uponlrelative movement of the support and diemembers and projection of the containers through the constricted die opening, meansqin cluding a reciprocatinglatch memberfor increas-.. ing the opening of the die'forrelease of the con-' tainer approximately at each demagnetization of the lid. abutment, anda member reciprocable with the.latch member for effecting substantial de-magnetization of. the magnetized abutment.

3. Apparatus for capping filled containers comprising incombination an endless conveyor, a Thewspacer andvfeeder 14, maybe mounted feed for containers disposed in a vertical. position, and means-for spacing the containers equal distances apart on the conveyor, a capping table.

means for reciprocating the capping table beneath" the containers for moving said containers to elevated positions relative to the conveyor, a container contracting die disposed above and in alignment withthe capping table, saiddie having an opening graduallyconstricted as to diameter size table whereby to decrease the diameter of a portion of the container, the contracting die being constituted of a stationary part and a complementary movable part normally in closed cooperative relationship, means for guiding container lids to a position above the die, electromagnetic means for holding the lids in position above the die, a member arranged for reciprocating move ment longitudinally of the conveyor, a latch finger on said member, and a shoulder on the movable die member disposed in the path of movement of the latch finger whereby upon movement of the reciprocating member the movable die part is separated from the stationary die part, and means for returning the movable die part to the normal position in abutment with the stationary die part upon release of themovable part by the latch finger. e 4. Apparatus for capping filled containers comprising in combination an endless conveyor, a feed for containers disposed in a vertical position,

and means for spacing the containers equal distances apart on the conveyor, a gravitational capping table, means for lifting the capping table beneath the containers for moving said containers to elevated positions relative to the conveyor, a

container contracting die disposed above and in alignment with the capping table, said die having an opening gradually constricted as to diameter size and into which opening may be forced a flexible container supported vertically on the capping table whereby to decrease the diameter movable die member disposed in the' path of movement of the latch finger whereby uponmovement of the reciprocating member the movable Y "die part is separated from the stationary "die part,

means for returningthe movable die part to the normal position in abutment with the stationary die part upon release of the movable part by the r latch finger, an electrical switch having an actuating leverdisposed in the path of movement of the reciprocating member, an electrical circuit in cluding the switch, the eleotromagnet, and a source of electricity, the switch being normally closed except when the actuatinglever is engaged by the reciprocating member, the lifting means being arranged to permit gravitation of the capping table for returning the capped container to;

the conveyor while theswitch is open.

NEWTON'L. EU LY. WILLIAM H. COLLINS;

HERMAN H. 'VOLLMER, 

